More than three weeks after the death of a young woman in Iran, demonstrators against the Islamic leadership have again taken to the streets. According to eyewitnesses, the willingness to use violence increased significantly on both sides during the weekend protests – at least one person was killed.
Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock announced sanctions against the perpetrators of repressive measures in the “Bild am Sonntag” in view of the brutal actions of the security forces. Meanwhile, a suspected hack by Iranian state television is causing a stir – slogans critical of the system could be read there for a short time.
Green politician Baerbock said in the interview: “We will ensure that the EU imposes entry bans on those responsible for this brutal repression and freezes their assets in the EU.” She went on to say: “Anyone who beats women and girls on the street, abducts people who want nothing more than to live freely, arbitrarily arrests them and sentences them to death are on the wrong side of history.”
The calls from the people on the streets of Iran for self-determination are “deafening”. Because of the current situation in Iran, North Rhine-Westphalia, after several other federal states, decided on Saturday evening to stop deportations to Iran immediately.
With tear gas and paintball ammunition against demonstrators
According to eyewitnesses, the police used tear gas against demonstrators on Sunday night and shot them with paintball ammunition. Security forces usually want to mark people with this in order to arrest them later. Demonstrators reportedly threw Molotov cocktails and set mobile police stations on fire.
A young driver was reportedly shot in the head during a demonstration in the western Iranian city of Sanandaj. Demonstrators accused the police of shooting the man, who in turn blamed the demonstrators.
Iranian state television apparently hacked
The Iranian state television was meanwhile allegedly hacked on Saturday evening: The program in two channels of the state broadcaster IRIB was briefly interrupted. Videos that were widely shared on social media showed how, instead of the program, an image of the supreme spiritual leader Ali Khamenei was shown in flames – a crosshair can be seen on his face. “Get up and join us,” read the Persian.
A picture was also shown of Mahsa Amini, who died in police custody in September, and three other young women believed to have been killed during the protests. The Tasnim news agency wrote that the program was interrupted “for a few moments”. An activist group called Edaalate Ali (Ali’s Justice) claimed responsibility for the action. A mask from the hacker group Anonymous was also displayed. The information could not be independently verified.
Management crisis meeting
The Iranian leadership meanwhile held a crisis meeting. According to the Office of the President, President Ebrahim Raisi, the Speaker of Parliament and the Head of the Judiciary also attended. In a joint statement, they called on the people to preserve national unity and to oppose the “hostile conspiracies” of the enemies of the Islamic system.
Deputy Interior Minister Majid Mirahmadi has meanwhile declared the protests over and at the same time announced even tougher action against demonstrators. Apart from “a few small disturbances”, calm and security have been restored, he said. However, on-site information and videos on social media paint a different picture – the protests continued nationwide on Sunday. Mirahmadi also said to the demonstrators: “They will not be released after their arrest and will remain in custody until their trial.”
The protests were triggered by the death of a 22-year-old woman
The protests against the Islamic system are entering their fourth week. They began after the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in mid-September. The security forces also used violence against demonstrators. According to observers, at least dozens of people have been killed in connection with the protests and many more have been injured.
Amini was arrested on charges of violating the Islamic dress code. According to activists, she was beaten in police custody and died as a result of a head injury. The police deny using violence. The authorities give the cause of death as heart failure due to a previous illness.
